Cindra Embers’ classes were usually a little offbeat, and often quite tame for a class that actually had the word Dark in its title. So it was strange that the seventh years’ participation was mandatory, and stranger still that the topic was boggarts. By comparison, sitting on the floor was relatively normal.

Dutifully Danny contributed to the class discussion about these creatures, and he was first in line to find out what was hiding in that chest. He fully understood the point that Professor Embers had made about fears changing. It made boggarts - already an unpleasantly Dark creature - all the more terrifying, as you could not guarantee the form you might encounter. Relevantly, the last time Danny had interacted with one of these shapeshifters was not long after a Bludger had broken his knee. The joint was fine now, as his active lifestyle would indicate, but at the time he had been shaken by the incident. His boggart had assumed the shape of a Bludger, and his thirteen-year-old self had forced it to don a smiley face, turn neon pink, and bounce around the room as if made of rubber.

Now eighteen and moving swiftly towards graduation, Dardanius was no longer fearful of Quidditch equipment. As a result of Claudia’s rancour, he had recently experienced the waking nightmare of being abandoned by his family and renounced by his friends, being stripped of his possessions and purpose. He wondered how the sensation of being willfully neglected would translate into a physical presence, and did not relish the likely scenario of his mother or father - or sister - exclaiming to the classroom how revolted they were by him.

It was therefore with apprehensive curiosity that he approached the rattling chest, and with horrified fascination that he watched the person stepping forth. It was as like someone had made a carbon copy with a few noticeable errors: Holland’s face shape was slightly different, their cheekbones marginally more prominent … exactly the way they would probably look a few years from now. Danny cast a confused glance at the real Holland, stood not far from him, and wondered briefly how the best thing about his life was supposed to scare him. Then it spoke.

“Your father made the right decision in disowning you,” Evil Holland said.

“Oh, I get it now,” Danny voiced his realisation as a shiver prickled its way down his spine. He tried to think of a way to make this amusing, but those beautiful blue-green eyes that usually shone with determination were full of a resentment that made him feel at once overwhelmingly despised and completely worthless.

“I should have realised years ago you’d never change,” the older Holland - that meant Danny had been together with them some time, certainly time enough to make their relationship known to his society, and to suffer whatever consequences ensued as a result. The version being conveyed indicated his father had retracted his support, leaving him with the nothing Claudia’s hex had elucidated - said coolly, “that you’d always be the arrogant, entitled -”

“How do I shut this thing up?” Danny asked semi-rhetorically, fighting against rising panic. He looked to the first place he always looked for support: the real Holland. As surreal as it was seeing a person replicated while the original was in the same room, the reassurance of reality grounded Danny. He took a breath; he felt calmer. “Riddikulus,” he cast, and the fake Holland was suddenly dressed in an octopus onesie, complete with extra arms and fluffy little textured tentacles. Their expression was no longer terrifying, but comical under the plush orange hood. Despite still feeling unnerved, Danny laughed. Evil Holland looked confused, which enabled Danny to laugh louder and step aside to let the next student take a turn. He was pretty sure his shallow breathing would return to normal soon.

Someone, at some point this term, had shown Cindra Embers something magical. She’d had no idea that Defense Against the Dark Arts had an actual curriculum! It laid out everything that her students,... more

Marissa wasn’t entirely sure why she was taking Defense Against the Dark Arts. She didn’t plan on pursuing it when she graduated from Rocky Mountain International – she didn’t want to be an Auror or... more

Defense Against the Dark Arts was one of those classes that Bryn was taking because he was bored. It was more interesting then History of Magic by far and he figured that it was more practical as... more

It didn’t take long for Marissa to place the voice. She’d honestly expected someone else - maybe Rose or Danny or Holland - to come check on her. Her heart sunk slightly when she realized it wasn’t... more

It was time for Defense Against the Dark Arts, which Dade no longer had with Connor, which was about the nicest thing he could say about the class. It was run by Kit’s aunt, who was weird and lame,... more

Professor Embers was okay. Claudia knew that a lot of the other students didn’t like her, and it was true that her teaching was sporadic at best, but she was far more approachable than many of the... more

It was Claudia walking down the hall, trying to talk to him like they were friends still. They weren’t friends still. She was Connor’s friend, not Dade’s friend. “Go. away.” Dade said through gritted ... more

Dade’s habitual rudeness as he told her to go away grated less on Claudia than usual. She was still incensed by his audacity to speak to anyone like that - he’d had the same upbringing as Connor; how ... more

Despite the constant malfunctioning of the school, it had been a quiet time for Shifty at Rocky Mountain International. He felt almost disappointed that so much mayhem was caused by someone other... more

Teal Rosse didn’t want to deal with a boggart. Teal didn’t know what her worst fear was, but she sure did not want to find out in front of most of the school. What could her boggart be? Bees? Bees... more

As the STOATs got closer, Remington spent more time studying for them. It seemed a little silly, since her grades were nearly perfect already, but her place in upper year classes was dependent upon... more

Despite being frightened by the boggart, Teal wanted to pretend she wasn’t. That was okay; Remington wouldn’t make her admit to things she didn’t want to say. Her best friend was Dade Farnon. The... more

Holland already knew what their boggart was. It had been one of the more high-concept fears in the beginner’s class. Everyone who had been in present for the lesson in second year probably remembered ... more

Despite Marissa’s reassurances way back in September, enough had happened since to distract him that he had only recently come to terms with how the descriptor gay was applicable to him. He certainly ... more

Holland stared at Russell, unsure of how to respond. He obviously hadn’t understood what they were saying, the way straight people usually didn’t understand when you made a joke about not being... more

Russell was vaguely aware of a voice. Although his attention was still far too occupied with the oppressive heat around him to register who the voice belonged to, he was able to recognize that it was ... more

When Russell returned, he sat down on the floor like a Jenga tower collapsing. Holland stared at the younger student, slightly alarmed. Was Russell shaking? He looked genuinely frightened. Holland... more

The only reason Ruben had continued on in taking Defense Against the Dark Arts in past years was because Ivy Rasnick was both hot and capable of skimming over the defense bit in the class's name, at... more

Really the last thing Danny needed right now was for Ruben to taunt him, but the Lyra realized this was, in fact, inevitable. Although, actually, maybe mockery from his nemesis-turned-unlikely-friend ... more

Ruben’s smirk broadened, and he brushed off Danny’s thanks with an airy wave. “Nej, nej, you deserved it.” He watched with blatant satisfaction as the darker-haired student (and much shorter-haired,... more

Wait did Ruben think he was serious? He had only been dating Holland for - it had to be less than five months. Definitely not long enough for anything like… like that . If they had been engaging in... more

Ruben experienced a mild but undeniable surge of relief at the denial. (In addition to this came a less mild and absolutely not necessary to deny surge of humour at the mental image of Emmett in... more

“It’s only a mind-game that a Boggart takes out of your head,” Ruben countered. There wasn’t much known about boggarts, or the type of magic that enabled the creature to access a person’s fears. If a ... more